Energy Meter Reading Using Bluetooth Technology

Energy Meter Reading Using Bluetooth Technology This project is designed with microcontroller, Bluetooth transmitter Receiver, and data cable with PC. Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs).Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency. In microcontroller we can program the cost per unit. So it receives the pulse from signal conditioning unit and increments the count value. Corresponding unit and cost are displayed on the LCD display. In this project the energy meter will send the meter reading to the Bluetooth device via the microcontroller. The Bluetooth thus transmits the data and sends it to the receiving side which will be indicated on the computer screen. The reading can be sent back after sufficient calculation to the energy meter display via Bluetooth devices. Introduction: A huge manpower is arranged by electric power company to collect the electricity meter reading. It is a costly job and easily getting wrong readings. In some cases, the staff of electric power company is not able to enter the private house and hence needed to estimate the power usage. An innovative solution is created to simplify the job by using Bluetooth technology. Meter reading can be taken easily and efficiently by using a Bluetooth device connected to the electric power meters with Bluetooth module installed. By using this solution, it eliminates the human error and does not need to estimate the electricity usage anymore. As a result, electric power company can reduce the operation time dramatically. This project basically aims to provide a new wireless design for Energy Meter Reading using Bluetooth Technology. Traditional system: During a research at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, a questionnaire was conducted about the traditional methods of Assessment of Meter Reading followed in Tamil Nadu and was found that few years ago there were readings taken manually and costs generated by manual calculation which has now been replaced by the project called BEST (Billing for Essential Services in TNEB) scheme which has two phases of implementation. With this project TNEB plans to computerize all their collection centers spread across Tamil Nadu. A handheld device is used by the assessor to generate the bill of the consumer based on the observed reading. The remote rural office of TNEB is being connected to a circle office and the circle office is being connected to the Regional office. Gemini Communication Ltd (GCL), a Chennai based leader in Communication Networking solutions did the first phase for about 456 Collection centers spread across 9 regions and deployed the servers and storage products for this network and hence the data that is being typed in at the remote rural office will automatically be saved in the server of the Regional office. In the second phase TNEB would implement the system in 8 regions catering to 1725 collection centers. This is the second phase of the project and will be used by 8 Chief Engineers and expected to benefit over 1.5 crore consumers. Proposed system: However in the existing system there is no solution provided for the misread meters and manual errors by the assessors. Also it does not provide a solution to reduce the manpower required as assessors. The proposed method is that of a wireless meter reading system. A mobile van or motorbike can be used by the staff to visit a street and it is required to enter only the building code to access all the meter readings of the building. The proposed design involves a microcontroller block that read up to 16 energy meters per building. Then the bill of the individual meter will be generated and displayed on the LCD screen of the microcontroller at the consumer end. This system will provide the readings of each and every meter in a building even if the staff is unable to enter the building. There are further uses of this system which are mentioned in the advantages section. Originality/value: This system has many significant excellences, such as wireless networking, low-workload, great quantity of data transmission, time- saving, security. It is an integrated system with complete hardware, software, and database implementation. Block diagram: Devices used and working: 1. Electricity meter The first block is an electric meter that is to be read. An Electric meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to a residence or business. These are customers of an electric company. The most common type is more properly known as a (kilo) watt-hour meter or a joule meter. Utilities record the values measured by these meters to generate an invoice for the electricity. They may also record other variables including the time when the electricity was used. Fig.1: Energy Meter Typical Energy meter data 5-10 v 240 v 50 Hz 1200 revs/kwh 2. IR Transmitter and receiver For the microcontroller to understand the meter reading, we need an IR setup which consists of an IR transmitter and receiver. The transmitter transmits an IR ray via a hole made in the meter disc, and the receiver receives it whenever the hole comes right in straight line with the IR ray. This happens on completion of each revolution of the disc. So this ensures that the microcontroller has track of each revolution and the counter works accordingly. A typical Infrared diode emits a beam of light that reaches the device. A 940 nm wavelength LED is typical. This infrared light is invisible to the human eye but carries signals that are detected by the appliance, as well as by the sensor of a digital camera. The presence of a carrier signal can be used to trigger a function. After the demodulation of the received signal, the appropriate frequency filters are applied to separate the respective signals. Nowadays digital procedures are more commonly used. Fig.2: IR transmitter and receiver 3. Digital comparator The comparator shown in the block diagram is used to sense a high pulse each time the IR receiver receives an IR light. And the comparator compares the coming signal to previous signal. If they are different the output is given as high and if they are same the output is zero. This ensures that when the meter stops on one reading the microcontroller stops counting. A digital comparator is a hardware electronic device that compares two numbers in binary form and generates a one or a zero at its output depending on whether they are the same or not. A comparator can be simulated by subtracting the two values (A B) in question and checking if the result is zero. This works because if A = B then A B = 0. Comparator Operation Input Vs. Output Results Current WILL flow through the open collector when the voltage at the PLUS input is lower than the voltage at the MINUS input of the opamp. Current WILL NOT flow through the open collector when the voltage at the PLUS input is higher than the voltage at the MINUS input of the opamp. 4. 8051 Microcontroller The microcontroller is used to count the pulses coming from the comparator output and to interface it to the Bluetooth device for Transmission and reception. It also interfaces to the LCD display so that the incoming Bill details can be displayed. The microcontroller consists of following sections: 4 Kb program memory. 128Kb RAM (including SFR(special function registers) as well) satisfies basic needs. 4 ports having in total of 32 input/output lines exist. Fig.3: 8051 Pinout and Basic Architecture The diagram above shows the 8051 pinout. The chip is a 40-pin package. Port 0 pins 32 to 39 make up the 8-bit I/O port 0. However, if external memory is used, these lines are used as a multiplexed address and data bus. Port 1 pins 1 to 8 make up the 8-bit I/O port 1. Port 2 pins 21 to 28 make up the 8-bit I/O port 2. However, if external memory is used, these lines make up the high-byte of the external address (A8 to A15). Port 3 pins 10 to 17 make up the 8-bit I/O port 3. However, each of these eight pins also has an alternate function, as detailed in the table below: External data memory read strobe RST the reset input is on pin 9. This pin is used for resetting the 8051 (i.e.; loading the PC with the correct startup value). EA-bar the external access, on pin 31, is used for enabling or disabling the on-chip ROM. When tied high (5V), the 8051 executes instructions in internal ROM when executing in the lower 4K (8K for the 8052) of memory. If tied low the 8051 will always execute instructions in external memory. The 8031 and 8032 should always have pin 31 tied low as there is no internal code memory. ALE the address latch enable is on pin 30. The ALE is used for latching the low byte of the address into an external register. PSEN-bar the program store enable is an output signal on pin 29. This signal is used for fetching instructions from external code memory. The microcontroller memory is divided into Program Memory and Data Memory. Program Memory (ROM) is used for permanent saving program being executed, while Data Memory (RAM) is used for temporarily storing and keeping intermediate results and variables. All 8051 microcontrollers have 16-bit addressing bus and can address 64 kb memory. 5. Bluetooth The Bluetooth device is used create the contact between the Consumerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s meter and the Assessorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s laptop or any Bluetooth enabled device which has the Billing Software in it. Bluetooth is the term used to describe the protocol of a short range (10 meter) frequency-hopping radio link between devices. Bluetooth is acceptable for situations when two or more devices are in proximity to each other and dont require high bandwidth. Bluetooth networking transmits data via low-power radio waves at frequency of 2.45 gigahertz (actually between 2.402 GHz and 2.480 GHz, to be exact). This frequency band has been set aside by international agreement for the use of industrial, scientific and medical devices (ISM). A personal computer must have a Bluetooth adapter in order to be able to communicate with other Bluetooth devices (such as mobile phones, mice and keyboards). 6. Visual Basic The software used to enter the received readings and generate the billing cost details is Visual Basic as the front-end software and SQL as the back-end software where the database of each consumer gets stored. Visual Basic is a Graphics User Interface (GUI). The main object in Visual Basic is called a form. Controls are things like text boxes, check boxes and command buttons. Controls are chosen from the Visual Basic à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"tool boxà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ . Once forms/controls are created, you can change the properties (appearance, structure etc.) related to those objects in that particular objects properties window. From this window, you choose the property you want to change from the list and change its corresponding setting. Once all your objects are created, you can combine them to form a single executable program that can be run outside of the Visual Basic environment, in Microsoft Windows as shown: Advantages: Issues with Stand-alone meter reading Highly Person dependant. Human errors cannot be avoided. Accessibility of meters in rural/ Agricultural zones. Energy Audits performed based on bill collection which is highly inaccurate. Billing done mainly on estimated/ monthly average basis Inability to monitor and control discrete loads Billing cycle requires excessive time. Electric company benefits Smart automated processes instead of manual work Accurate information from the network load to optimise maintenance and investments Customized rates and billing dates. Streamlined high bill investigations. Better network performance and cost efficiency. Demand and distribution management. More intelligence to business planning. Better company credibility. Customer benefits Precise consumption information Clear and accurate billing Better and faster customer service Disadvantages: Applying the system in large area with multiple subscribers is not a straightforward task; the system may need some modifications. Bluetooth device costs are affordable only by Apartment residents or residents of colonies but not independents. Future developments: In our project we have used the old fashion mechanically operating meters but they are easy to tamper with. In future digital meters can be used for this project once they become cheaper. The other proposed advancement that can be made is the use of other wireless communication devices. Bluetooth model was used by us essentially for lab testing purposes. The more favourable options could be Modems and Zigbee devices that provide both range and better security. They were not chosen for this project due to budget restrictions.

Keeping Animals in Zoos

On Sunday afternoons in every major city many families go to the zoo with kids. They always have a lot of fun, see many rare animals, funny monkeys, tall giraffes, huge elephants and cute koalas. But what is going on with animals? On the one hand, animals are safe in zoos, which means they cannot be hurt in their cages. Secondly, animals have enough food, for example, they can always eat in a zoo, while they may be starving in nature. Furthermore, many poachers kill animals for their skin, fur and meat, but they cannot do it to animals in zoos. What is more, there are many species that are almost exterminated, but zoos help them reproduce and keep their species existing. The last but not least, if the natural habitat of some species is destroyed, ruined or is no longer for living in, zoos make cages that look exactly like the natural habitat. On the other hand, animals are kept away from their natural place of living. For instance, lions can never live in Berlin. Another major disadvantage of keeping animals imprisoned is too much noise and stress for them. Many people come to see them. For example, kids come near the cages and tease them, so they have a very stressful life unlike their natural way of living. Not to mention the fact that animals are not free. They are trapped in their cells like in prisons. In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos and everyone is to judge by himself. However, before that think about yourself being kept in a cage and being seen just as an amusement!

Religion: is it a Force For Good in the Modern World? Essay

What is religion, and can it ever be a force for good? Religion is a notional series of beliefs that make sense of the world. For some people, it can help to answer questions about creation, life and death, and provides comfort and a system of belief in and worship of a supernatural power or god. Religion in the West (mainly Christianity) is now not what it once was, and in the East (for example Islam) has become rather distorted due to fundamentalism. Nevertheless, most of us would like to think that religion is a force for good. The basic nature of most religions should make them so, but when people abuse religions and use them as an excuse to make money, exert power, or even to wage war, they turn into a force for bad. The Christianity of the past has sometimes seemed horrific to our eyes, but within the context of the times for many a Christian it was a force for good. We can see now that Christianity was good in the sense that it helped to inspire many good things in education, the rule of law, and culture generally – many paintings and musical compositions were enthused by the Christian religion, because people wanted to have illustrations of their belief in the transcendent. The Ten Commandments were and still are a good way for people and groups to control their behaviour and have a clear moral framework. (It is interesting to note that the Christian idea of turning the other cheek is not what the Christian Americans will be doing if they decide to attack Afghanistan.) There were several things about Christianity in the past that nowadays we consider to be morally wrong, but the Christians at the time thought that what they were doing was right: the crusades, for example, where the European crusaders wandered around the middle east attacking Muslims, sometimes even mistaking Christian villagers for Muslims and slaughtering their families. This would be considered as anything but morally right nowadays. The crusaders, though, thought that it was God’s will that they should slaughter those people, just as was the case was with dogmatic disputes within Christianity, with Christians fighting each other – the Christians thought that they were doing these terrible things for a just cause, just as bigoted and ignorant people in Northern Ireland still do. The good thing about Christianity these days is that the majority of Christian churches are benign give hope and something to rely on (for instance, the disaster in New York attracted many people to come to church to pray, even some non-religious people). Churches provide a focus in the community, and sometimes religious groups can act as a force to counteract bad elements in governments and societies. In the western world nowadays, Christianity is being overtaken by materialism; learning and compassion associated with the Christian religion are being undermined, and in the Middle East and in Africa, fundamentalism, (which takes the words of sacred texts literally), is coming into play. There is the danger for examples of clashes between Protestantism and Catholicism, and between other groups, in particular, evangelical churches, which are fundamentalist in tone, and display for example narrow-mindedness over abortion. There is also a danger from semi-religious cults, which like sects in religion emphasize a few aspects, which are often of benefit financially to themselves, or at least to their leaders. It cannot be very religious that in these money-based cults, there is a wish to dominate financially as well as ideologically. The Islamic religion was like the Christian religion in many respects – it was charitable, respected the individual and also helped to provide the foundations for things like education, law and the arts. However, the Islamic religion expanded too quickly over a wide geographical area, and could not keep up with the development of society, and there began conflicts within itself, and with Christianity. Jihads, (or Holy Wars, similar to crusades), were probably fundamentally more concerned with political and economical aims than with religious ones. Today, when it is part of more open and tolerant Muslim societies, such as Turkey or Pakistan, the Islamic religion does not present a major threat, and it is clear in these countries that there are a lot of similarities between Islamic and Christian principles. But because it has failed overall to adapt and find a place in the modern world, and there has tended to be a large gap between the rich and poor in Muslim societies, then fundamentalism has taken hold among the more ignorant or manipulative elements, and often has strong nationalist connections, as in the Taliban. This is a reaction by the clerics and their associates against a pluralistic society, away from individual rights and especially those of women to the supposedly core beliefs of the religion. In most cases the more tolerant and benevolent aspects of the religion are ignored, and even the strictest are seen to be corrupt: the Taliban’s religious police can be bribed, and often loot the televisions etc that they confiscate. An example of the difficulty that some modern day religions face is the idea of a holy or a just war. Most religions say that you should not commit murder, and should respect the individual, and it is often not easy to see why or how this can be overruled so that churches can justify a war, but the fact is that war is justified by different religions whether we like it or not. Generally a just or holy war should involve clear identification of an enemy, clear reasons for attacking the enemy, and some idea of what the outcome will achieve, even if it is only to the attacker’s benefit. The CIA supported and trained Bin Laden and his followers in Afghanistan when it suited the USA to use him against the Soviet invaders. Now they have to face him as a dangerous enemy. An ex-Soviet general said recently that four soldiers in a tank were no match for an Al-Qaeda follower on a donkey. Bin Laden is now the arch-enemy of the USA. Because he is sheltered in Afghanistan, that country, which has suffered 20 years of terrible war, is likely to be attacked again. The Taliban, however, feels that they have reason to view the USA as the enemy. Is this to do with religion, a real jihad, or is it that because everybody in poor Muslim countries that have suffered a lot of war feel envious of the power and wealth of the world’s only remaining superpower? If President Bush can talk carelessly (or was it carelessly?) about a crusade, is it not understandable that many Muslims feel that this is anti-Islamic in general and not just anti-Bin Laden? There is really no such thing as a justifiable holy war because no one should attack anyone else simply because they have different religious beliefs: the background to any war is always far more complicated than matters of doctrine – it is usually a power game and/or an economics game. Whether we are believers or not, we all have to hope that if used properly and in the right hands, religion can still be a force for good. In bad hands such as those of religious fundamentalists of an extreme kind it can be very dangerous. It is difficult for us to enter the minds of extremists partly because their motives often seem mixed: for example, it is said that the night before the attack on the World Trade Centre a lot of shares were bought and sold by people with connections to Bin Laden, and he seems to be a rich man already. The West has not yet come to terms with what these types of religion can mean and that is why it was taken by surprise on September 11. Until we understand what lies behind the sectarianism of religious extremists we will not be able to deal with these forces which bring what can only be called evil in their wake.

Introduction. Glucagon And Insulin Are Hormones That Are

INTRODUCTION Glucagon and Insulin are hormones that are secreted by the islet cells of the pancreas. The two hormones are responsible for the control of glucose levels in the blood. The process ensures that there is a constant supply of glucose to the cells to perform various functions in the body consistently (Unger, Anna Leonard 1031). The experiment compares the glucose concentration in the mesenteric arteries, the hepatic vein, and the hepatic portal vein before and after food consumption to establish the implication of the two hormones on the glucose levels. Mesenteric arteries carry the blood from the rest of the body to the intestines and have little glucose (Unger, Anna Leonard 1033). Hepatic Portal Vein carries†¦show more content†¦The labeling of test tubes was about the category and type of sample that was placed in each. A metric ruler was used for marking off 1 cm and 2 cm on each test tube from the bottom to represent the capacity of reagent and sample used in each set up of the experiment. The speed of reaction and the extent of color change were compared with all the test tubes. A hot water bath was prepared for the purpose of heating the test tube contents. It was filled with 200 mL of water and heated on high. The respective serum was added to the six test tubes up to the first mark after which drops of Benedict’s solution were added to fill up to the second mark a piece. The three samples of post-prandial were heated in the hot water bath concurrently. The time at which the solution color changed for the first time and the color changes after that were noted down. The procedure was repeated for the three samples taken during fasting. The expected order of the shift in color in the Benedicts solution was blue (in glucose absence) to yellow, then orange and finally red progressively with increase in the glucose levels. The used Benedict’s solution was discarded into the reserved waste vessel. RESULTS Post-Prandial Samples These were the results that were recorded through the experiment which was done using post-prandial the samples. It took 26 minutes for the sample taken from the Hepatic Portal Vein to turn from the original blue color to yellow, which then changedShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Diabetes958 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction In the year 2013, it is estimated that 382 million people have diabetes; however, this is number will likely increase to 592 million by the year 2035. (1) Among Diabetes types, type2 DM is the most common form of diabetes affecting almost 85-90% of all people with diabetes. While older adults are usually involved, younger individuals, even children, are likely to have type2 DM. 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